The Psychology of Error in Chess

Playing the Jerome Gambit and its relatives regularly is like participating a seminar on "The Psychology of Error in Chess." White can only win after giving "Jerome Odds" if his opponent errs, but there are so many ways that Black can suddenly become cooperative...

iplayforsean  - Leftang
blitz, FICS, 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5

Not a good idea, for a number of reasons. See "A Line of Play Everyone Should Know About" for a few of them.

4.Bxf7+

Not the best reason (4.Nxe5 is top of the picks), but reason enough to avoid 3...Na5.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.d4

One of several moves that White has at his disposal, to keep the game interesting and going forward. The most precipitate is 6.Qg4+ when Black probably does best to take the offered piece with 6...Kxe5, as White has an edge after 6...Ke7 7.Qg5+ (likely better than 7.Qh5+ Nf6 8.Ng6+ hxg6 9.Qxh8) Nf6 8.Ng4 Nc6 9.e5 Kf7 10.exf6 d5 although things remain complicated. After 6.Qg4+ Kxe5 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Qxa5 Qf6 Black may have a edge, but his King's position and lag in development keeps it small.

6...d6 7.d5+

White might do better with the maneuver mentioned above: 7.Qg4+ Ke7 8.Qh4+ Nf6 9.Ng6+ hxg6 10.Qxh8

7...Kxe5

Sometimes it is nice to be two pieces ahead, like in the line mentionied in the note after White's 6.d4, above. But not this time.

Black could survive with 7...Ke7, although after 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.0-0 his King would remain a major headache.

8.Qh5+

Crunch!

8...Kf6

Only temporary relief comes from 8...g5, e.g. 9.Bxg5 Nf6 10.f4+ Kd4 11.Qf3 and the Black King will come to grief. 

9.Bg5+ Ke5 10.Bxd8+ Black resigned

Losing his Queen was enough punishment for Black.

Attackers might figure out that the alternative 10.c3 led to checkmate, for example 10...Nf6 11.Bf4+ Kxf4 12.g3+ Kxe4 13.Nd2+ Kd3 14.Qe2+ Kc2 15.Nf1. (After the text, if it were needed, White could still mate in about 10 moves, but this proved unnecessary.) 

White Knight Review

The January/February 2011 issue of Bill Wall's interactive e-magazine, "White Knight Review", is now available.

Why not surf on by http://www.offthewallchess.com/ and give it a look?

There are some cool articles, including one on the Jerome Gambit that contains a couple of Bill's games, annotated.

Artificial Ignorance (Part 2)

The Wikipedia entry for the computer program Chess Titans (see "Artificial Ignorance Part 1"), which comes with the Windows 7 operating system, includes this dead-pan bit of information

Chess Titans has been criticized for being less sophisticated than other chess video games. However, while its algorithms may not be as sophisticated, it is still a good game for beginners or those wanting a refresher.

Chess Titans has also been criticized for having bugs that allow the computer to cheat. However, this criticism is generally unfounded and often comes from beginners who are unfamiliar with more artisan moves such as castling and en passant.

My son was pleased that the program was willing to answer his 1.e4 with 1..e5 (I haven't shown him the "Sicilian Jerome Gambit" yet), and he quickly went about offering the computer "Jerome Gambit odds".

Jon - Chess Titans
casual game, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

Book or calculation? The computer chooses a fighting line.

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.Nc3

Checking The Database I see that this line scored 23% in 45 games. This game gives it a nudge upward.

8...Bxf2+

This "theoretical novelty", however, restores White's chances to a-little-better-than-even. It is hard to see where the move came from, as the psychology of the "Anti-Bill Wall Gambit" and its relatives is largely a human phenomenon.

Certainly 8...Qf6, instead, was the way to go for Black.

9.Qxf2 g6

More strangeness, and now White is winning, as he quickly shows.

10.Qd4+ Ke6 11.0-0

Castling his King into safety, developing his King Rook and following the advice restrain the King, then checkmate him. It is a shame to have to point out that 11.Qd5+ first, and after 11...Kf6 then 12.0-0+ was stronger, e.g. 12...Kg7 13.Qxe5+ Nf6 and White's build-up of attack on the pinned Knight will be decisive.

11...d5

One step too far. 

12.exd5+ Ke7

Opting for a quick end.

Instead, 12...Kd6 13.Nb5+ Ke7 14.Qxe5+ Kd7 15.Qe6 checkmate lasts a bit longer.

"Best" is defending with 12...Kd7 but after 13.Qxe5 White is threatening both material gain and checkmate, and Black's survival (however long he lasts) will be a tortured one. 

13.Qxe5+ Be6 14.Qxe6 checkmate

 (Hey, Boss, look out!)

Artificial Ignorance (Part 1)

How do you get a chess-playing computer to play poorly?

In the case of programs like Talking LCD Chess – see "Jerome Gambit and the Perfesser (Part I)", Part II, Part III and Part IV – you can limit how deeply it searches for each move. It sees less, it misses more.

In the case of programs like Chess Challenger 7 – see "A Jerome Gambit 'Challenger' " –  you can limit the amount of time it spends on choosing each move. Again, playing strength has a lot to do with how far the computer "sees".

Or, when you design a program, you can have it play a relatively decent game, but every once-in-a-while have it choose the 4th or 5th or worse move choice. That's the blunder-as-a-ticking-time-bomb model: with strong players, large mistakes are rare; but with weak players things go *boom* quite regularly.

I was thinking about this "problem" (most of the time programmers are trying to make their chess engines stronger and smarter) today while discussing the Chess Titans program (which is included in the Windows 7 operating system) with my son, Jon.

The youngest of the "Kennedy Kids", home on vacation from his work in Haiti, has been spending more time on chess lately. Of course, he wanted me to show him the details of the Jerome Gambit, and of course I spent a lot of time doing so.

He wants to return to The Haitian Project, play his boss at chess, and beat him with the Jerome Gambit...

Houdini-like Escape

With an amazing escape that Harry Houdini would have applauded, Hydra Rancher's effort takes its place in the annals of Blackburne Shilling Gambit and Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit history!



HydraRancher - kellyzeye
standard game, FICS, 2011


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.f4

The Database has 200 games with this position, and White scores 50%. This is an optimistic outcome, given the strength of Black's next move (which, surprisingly, scores 52% for White in The Database).

Best for White is 6.c3, which leads to a roughly even game (and which scores 56% in The Database).

6...Qh4+ 7.g3 Qh3

8.c3

This lets Black's Queen into the White Kingside. Objectively best, safeguarding White's King but still leading to an advantage for Black (a piece for two pawns), is 8.Nf3 Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3 Kf7.

8...Qg2 9.Qg4+

White counters Black's counter-attack, but when the checks stop his game will be a mess.

9...Ke7 10.Qh4+ Nf6

White is busted.

I like to think that HydraFarmer played his next move with the rest of the game all figured out in his head. He arranges a bamboozling swindle.

11.cxd4 Qxh1+ 12.Ke2 Qxc1 13.Nc3

Yes!

13...Qxa1

White has given up a Rook, then a Bishop, then a Rook. What does he get for all that? A check – and a chance.

14.Nd5+ Kd6

Wow.

It is clear that Black has to give some material back, and a step forward along the e-file should allow him to do so, safely, i.e. 14...Ke6 15.Nxc7+ Ke7 16.Nxa8 d6, remaining a piece and a Rook up.

A step backward along the e-file is a bit trickier but still is okay: 14...Ke8 15.Nxf6+ gxf6 16.Qh5+ Kd8 (instead 16...Ke7 17.Qf7+ Kd8 18.Qxf6+ Ke8 19.Qf7+ Kd8 20.Qf6+ lets White draw) 17.Nf7+ Ke7 (careful: 17...Ke8 18.Nd6+ Ke7 19.Qf7+ Kxd6 20.Qxf6 checkmate!) 18.Nxh8 Qxa2 and Black's Queen can return to the Kingside and protect her monarch.

The text? White's delightful swindle leads to mate!

15.Nxf6 Be7

Capturing the White Knight at f6, of course, leads to a mate-in-one.

Black can delay the end with 15...Ke7 16.Nd5+ Kd6 17.Qd8 Qc1 but White finishes with 18.a4, e.g. 18...Qf1+ 19.Kxf1 c6 20.Qc7+ Ke6 21.f5 checkmate

16.Nc4+ Kc6 17.Qh5 g5 18.Qxg5 Black resigned

After he throws his Queen away with check, Black cannot stop mate.

3 = 1

GM Bronstein suggested that in chess three "little" mistakes add up to one "big" mistake.

That could well be the watchwords of the Jerome Gambit player who would gladly accept a blunder on his opponent's part, but who otherwise hopes to see about three little mistakes to even out the game after his own big mistake – playing the Jerome Gambit, of course!

perrypawnpusher - parlance
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6

7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Ng6

9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Qxc5+ Ke8

A rare move. Usually seen is 10...d6 as in perrypawnpusher - GabrielChime, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 29)

11.0-0 d6 12.Qe3 N8e7

Probably stronger was 12...Nf6. White is now even, if not a bit better.

13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Ng4

Rash, but irresistible.

White can now answer this move with 15.Qg5 reaching a complicated position after 15...Nf6 16.Qxg7 Rf8 – the same he could have achieved in the game.

15.Qg3 h5

After the game Rybka gave a preference for retreating the Knight with 15...Nf6 16.Qxg7 Rf8 (as above). It then looks like an even game is the result of 17.Nc3 d5 18.e5 Nxf5 19.Rxf5 Bxf5 20.exf6 Qxf6 21.Qxf6 Rxf6, with White having two pawns for the exchange (after 22.Nxd5).

analysis diagram








Probably White can do better in this line with 18.Bg5 instead of 18.e5 – this is another example of a time when the center pawn advance is not best. After 18...Rf7 19.Qh6 Nxe4 20.Rae1 Nxg5 21.f6 Ne6 22.fxe7 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Kxe7 24.Qh5

analysis diagram








White's lead in development and attack against Black's King will fully compensate for the sacrificed piece and even give White the advantage (again, according to Rybka).

Going over the game afterwards I was stunned by the computer's suggestion that 15...Nf6 16.Qxg7 Rf8 17.Nc3 d5 18.Bg5 Rf7 could also be met by White with 19.Qh8+ (instead of the more prudent 19.Qh6) Rf8 20.Bxf6!?  – with an even game (according to Rybka) after the Queen sacrifice 21...Rxh8 22.Nxd5.

analysis diagram








I'll let readers figure that out while I return to the game at hand...

16.h3 Nf6 17.Qxg7 Rf8

The position is similar to one we looked at above, with the addition of ...h7-h5 and h2-h3. Clearly 18.Bg5 or 18.Nc3 should be played.

18.e5

This leads only to an even game.

18...dxe5 19.Bh6

Panic.

White can hold on with the intended 19.dxe5 although he will drop two pawns after 19...Qd4+ 20.Kh1 Qxe5 21.Bg5 Bxf5.

analysis diagram








After 22.Nc3 White maintains many threats and Rybka's suggestion is for Black to liquidate to an even game with 22...Ng4 23.Qxe7+ Qxe7 24.Bxe7 Kxe7 25.hxg4. 

19...Qxd4+ 20.Kh1 Rf7

Even stronger was 20...Rg8 which would win the Queen after 21.Qxf6 Nd5.

21.Qh8+ Neg8

This move gives White a slight chance out – he should have blocked with the other Knight.

22.Nc3

Collapsing.

After 22.Bg7 Kd7 23.Nc3 Kc6 24.Rad1 Qc4 25.Bxf6 Nxf6 26.Qh6 Rybka evaluates the game as about even – White either wins the pinned Knight at f6 or bring his Queen close enough to Black's King to deliver a repetition of checks.

22...Rh7 White resigned

Black wins White's Queen. Nicely done!

Huh?

Some chess games just make you wonder...

Here is the final position from a recent FICS game starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Na5 4.Bxf7+. Obviously White never recovered his sacrificed piece, but in the end it did not matter.

Can any conclusion be drawn from the names of the players, CaptainAndy vs SickJoke?

 

Never giving up takes on new meaning with the above position from the game thmavz - fatoldman, FICS, 2010. It started out like a "normal" Jerome Gambit, too! 

How White restrained himself from Queening that g-pawn is beyond me...